Business Reluctance to Embrace SMS Communications
The growth of SMS (text messaging) has been nothing less than impressive. However, businesses have been reluctant to embrace this communication system. The reason for this is current SMS communications does not fit comfortably with the need of business for mass customer service communication systems. The invention creates a system whereby businesses can use an SMS code, have the message come to their desktop computer and then converts the two-way conversation to an online “chat” system.
Text Messaging of Data Using Mobile Devices
Text messaging or “texting” is the common term for the sending of “short” (160 characters or fewer) text messages from mobile phones using the Short Message Service (SMS). It is available on most digital mobile phones and some personal digital assistants with on-board wireless telecommunications. The individual messages which are sent are called “text messages”, or in the more colloquial text speak “texts”.
Common Short Codes (CSC), also known as “short code” are special telephone numbers of 4-6 characters, significantly shorter than full telephone numbers, which can also be used to address SMS messages from mobile devices. These numbers are designed to be shorter to read out and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers. While similar to telephone numbers, they are, at the technological level, unique to each operator, although providers generally have agreements to avoid overlaps. Short codes are widely used for value-added services such as television voting, ordering ringtones, charity donations and mobile services. Messaging sent to short code numbers are generally billed at a higher rate than a standard SMS.
According to Nielson Mobile, “While the number of calls made on mobile phones has remained steady over the last couple of years, the number of text messages sent and received has risen by a whopping 450%. By the end of 2007, monthly text messaging had just overtaken voice calls 218 to 213. By Q2 2008, an average mobile phone subscriber placed or received 204 calls, compared with sending or receiving 357 text messages every month.”
Short Message Service Centre (SMSC)
Messages are sent to a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) which provides a store-and-forward mechanism. It attempts to send messages to their recipients. If a recipient is not reachable, the SMSC queues the message for later retry. When text messages are sent to an SMSC, the cell phone identity of the caller is available and retrieved in addition to time of call.
Website portals such as “trans18it” have supported a community of users to help standardize this text speak by allowing users to submit translations, staking claim with their user handle, or to submit top messages and guess the lingo phrases. The international popularity of this portal resulted in late 2005 the publishing of the trans18it! dxNRE & glosRE (dictionary & glossary) as the world's first, and most complete, SMS and text lingo book.
Some commonly used acronyms on texting are:                2: To or Too        4: For        brb: Be Right Back        gtg: Got To Go        g2g: Got To Go        ttyl: Talk To You Later        idk: I Don't Know        idc: I Don't Care        lol: Laugh(ing) Out Loud        rofl: Rolls On Floor Laugh(ing)        omg: Oh My God        
Short message service centers are developing rapidly throughout the world. In 2000, just 17 billion SMS messages were sent; in 2001, the number was up to 250 billion and 500 billion SMS messages in 2004. With carriers charging for each text sent and received, this generated revenues in excess of $50 billion for mobile telephone operators and represented close to 100 text messages for every person in the world. According to Nielson Mobile, a service of the Nielson Company, the typical U.S. mobile subscriber sent and received more SMS text messages than they did voice phone calls in 2008.
While texting is widely popular among the ages of 10-25 year olds in the United States, it is increasing in use among adults and business users as well. According to both the Mobile Marketing Association and Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, 40% of US mobile phone users text. The split by age group is as follows: 13-24's: 80% text, 18-27's: 63% text, 28-39's: 31% text, 40-49's: 18% text. The amount of text messages sent in the United States has gone up over the years as the price has gone down to an average $0.10 per text sent and received. Many providers make unlimited texting available for a lower price.